Spiritual Needs:
1. The majority of church congregations average less then 75 in attendance on Sunday morning and that 75% of our congregations need a pastor that has outside income either by serving as a bi-vocational pastor, having some type of retirement or the spouse working outside of the home.
2. 95-97% of Alaskans are unchurched & that church has no relevance or meaning to the average Alaskan? In the Lower 48, often when people do not go to church on Sunday, the question is asked, “I wonder what is wrong with them today?” In Alaska, this question is often asked about those who go to church.
3. To reach the Native villages, you must minister cross-culturally and adapt to the culture of the village.
4. Number of Congregations that are currently without a pastor: 7
5. Number of Ethnic/Cultural Groups in Alaska: 120
6. Number of Communities Without an Evangelical Congregation: 100
7. Alaska has one of the highest suicide rate in the U.S. The Native Alaskans are experiencing a culture of sorrow, they have lost their sense of community, due to poverty, lost of culture, and unable to keep up with 21st century changes.
8. The suicide rate among Native Alaskans was three times that of nonnative Alaska residents and five times the national rate from 2003 to 2006, according to a study.
9. Suicide among natives is commonly linked with depression and mental illness, which often goes untreated in rural areas, as well as with alcoholism, and cultural and economic stress. Many native families are reluctant to discuss suicide, adding to the challenge.
10. "There's such a feeling of hopelessness, particularly for young men."
